Charlie Greenman, the fiance of Olivia Greenlee and a fellow Union University student, has been charged with murdering Greenlee.
Pittman, 21, was also charged with tempering with evidence in the case at the Jackson, TN college.
Greenlee died from a single gunshot wound last week and the gun was found in her car.
Pittman was originally identified as a person of interest and was later taken into custody following a series of interviews.
“The evidence shows that on Tuesday night Pittman shot Greenlee as she sat in her car,” police said in a statement. “Pittman then staged the crime scene to give the appearance that Greenlee had committed suicide.”
Pittman will be arraigned at 8 a.m. in Jackson City Court on Tuesday.
David Dockery, president of the Christian university, said in a statement that “Understanding that an arrest is not the same thing as a conviction, we now need to let the judicial process run its course. Union University continues to cooperate with authorities.”
He added that the tragedy involving two students “is incredibly devastating and saddening news.”
Besides being Greenlee’s fiance, Pittman was a youth minister at nearby Providence Baptist Church, reported WBBJ-TV.
“It’s shocking because he’s supposed to be a good example to the community and a Christian leader. It just sets a bad example,” said one churchgoer, Megan Carter.
Greenlee’s obituary said that she was a music education major and a member at First Baptist Church in Dyersburg.
She was also a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority.
